


Home Is By Your Side

by Poison_writes



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Bathing Togheter, Bathtubs, Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Post-Dangan Ronpa 3: Hope Arc, They Are Living Together, Trans Naegi Makoto, Unreliable Narrator, he is just exhausted, its only vaguely mentioned but the headcanon is important to me ok, just give makoto a break please, no beta we die like man, sorta - Freeform, takes place right after hope arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:28:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23844475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poison_writes/pseuds/Poison_writes
Summary: It has been incredibly tough few days. Makoto is tired.
Relationships: Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto
Comments: 2
Kudos: 74





	Home Is By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just jumping in to announce that English is not my first language so please have mercy on me.

It amazed Makoto that after all that happened he still had place he could go to and call home. It felt like a dream. Or more precisely made everything else feel like nightmare. His flat looked normal. Maybe too normal considering all the wars and violence raging outside. His flat was normal. There was electricity and water supply and a TV with DVDs that would last for a life time. There were plants that he to his surprise didn’t yet kill and there were white curtains and pillows on his sofa. There was a freezer filled with all kinds of junk food and there was an old coffee machine that still worked perfectly well. In bedroom there were several shelves with books, mostly Kyoko’s, but there was one dedicated to Makoto’s manga collection. It was his pride and joy. Everything inside that flat was unaffected by the incredible horrors of outside world. Everything inside that flat was home. Makoto found strange unease in that normalcy. Everything felt so unreal.

Kyoko could sense his anxiety. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze. ‘It’s alright, we are safe here.’ It felt weird that she was right. They really were safe. Everything was over. At least for the time being. Another thing that felt too good to be true was that she was still with him. He almost lost her that day. He almost lost her so many times. Yet she still stood by his side. She was so strong. Stronger than Makoto could ever be. Or so he thought. 

It was late. Probably. Makoto felt tired. After recovering survivors from the underwater base he spent several hours in Future Foundation’s medical quarters. Kyoko was surprisingly well. Even though she demanded to leave sooner they still wanted to run couple of tests on her. That was pretty reasonable, Makoto thought, she almost died. The feeling he had upon seeing her presumably dead body still lingered with him. So did the emptiness he felt afterwards.

‘How about I run us a bath? I think we both need it.’ She was now massaging his shoulders. Her hands slowly traveling up his neck. He could feel the cold surface of her gloves. He didn’t flinch. Just melted into the touch. Because even through the artificial cold leather it was still Kyoko touching him. And there was always certain warmness and sense of stability that her touch brought to him. Yet again, Makoto was wondering if he was dreaming. Kyoko’s fingers in his hair felt real enough to him. Even if it was just a dream, he was willing to indulge in it a bit longer.

‘That would be nice.’

He is tired. He is exhausted and drained of emotions. He wonder’s how all of this feels to Kyoko. She is always so collected. So brave. So cold. Part of Makoto wonders what she sees in him, the other part knows exactly what. The balance each other. He is not sure how but suddenly he is standing up. Oh? He was probably sitting down on sofa until that point. He marches into the kitchen. Is it really his decision? It feels automatic. It feels like he is watching his body move from afar. He makes tea. Cinnamon for himself and mint for Kyoko. Those smells don’t mix very well together, but they give him certain sense of reality. Few hours ago he was stuck in killing. Few hours ago most of highly prominent Future Foundation members died. He saw their bodies and was forced to realize all of them committed suicide. Few hours ago Kyoko died. Because of him. Now he was making tea while he listened to the sound of running water from bathroom next door. Kyoko was humming. He didn’t recognize the melody. When the two of them met he never though he would hear her do something like that. Now he was almost used to it. Maybe mint and cinnamon scent weren’t so bad together. Fresh and sweet. Both of them smelled human. Both of them smelled like home. Like safety.

‘Is that for me? How considerate of you.’ She takes both of the cups to set them on the bathtub’s edge. Then she’s back and suddenly Makoto is being led into bathroom. She is gentle but persistent. As usual.

He watches Kyoko tie her hair into a bun. It’s rare look, but it suits her. Sometimes Makoto thinks about how she grew up. It all happened in the game. All of them had to grow up. Kyoko climbs into the tub and Makoto quickly follows her.

He sits down in front of her, resting his back against her chest and closes his eyes. The water is hot. Maybe too hot to his taste, but it doesn’t matter at that moment. If anything it makes him feel sure this is really happening. He feels Kyoko’s hands under the water traveling up his sides, they stop at scars on his chest, gently tracing their pattern. Kyoko’s hands are rough. But the doesn’t mind. Some selfish part of him is happy that he is the only one allowed to get to touch her hands properly.

‘Why does this keep happening?’ Makoto says finally and only then realizes it’s probably the first time he has spoken since they arrived home. 

‘It’s a cruel world out there,’ she answers and her voice is gentle and full of pity. She knows he is upset and is treating him like a child. It makes him feel sick. It makes him feel angry. He knows he shouldn’t be. She is only trying to help.

‘How can this keep happening? Why can’t I stop it? Why is there one game after another?’

‘It’s not your fault, Makoto.’ The ways he says his name always made him feel weak. Now it makes him feel guilty. He doesn’t know why.

‘How can you say that after you almost died because of me?’ She wants to say something. Makoto doesn’t let her. ‘I was there at the beginning. I was in the first game. It should- no. It is my responsibility to not let something like that happen again. But I let it happen in the neo world program and everyone was in danger because of me. You were in danger because of me.’ He feels like crying. Maybe he already is. He is not sad. He is angry, pissed, furious. He is angry with himself, because once again he couldn’t keep his promise. Once again he messed up miserably. 

‘You can’t possibly blame yourself for this.’ Kyoko wraps his arms around his shoulders and rests her head atop of his. He once again feels reminded that she is taller. ‘You can’t put whole weight of this messed up world on your shoulders. I know lot of things may feel like your responsibility, but now matter how much you wish you could there are simply some things you can’t affect.’ He wants to argue, because deep down it still feels like his fault. But he just can’t. ‘You acted on your best intentions. You did as much as you could. I don’t think anyone else in your position would be able to handle things that well.’

He forces out a weak laugh. Handle things well. People died. So many people died because of him. He feels like the blood is on his hands. 

No. She is right. Kyoko is always right. He has to believe her. Not for her sake, but for the sake of hope.

Yeah, he thinks he can do that.

‘Promise me something?’ He speaks again. His mind feels a lot clearer. Physical exhaustion finally starts to catch up with him though. His limbs feel heavy.

‘Hm?’

‘Don’t ever keep a secret like that from me again. Even if you think it’s to protect me.’

Kyoko is quiet. She is considering her options. Makoto hopes he didn’t push her too far.

‘Okay, I promise.’

Makoto knows there is turn to that. ‘I promise as long as you promise you won’t do anything reckless,’ or something like that. He doesn’t want to push it at that moment. He just wants to rest. He won’t held her accountable if she ever breaks that promise, though he hopes she won’t. 

The water is cooler now. They must have been sitting there for quite some time.

‘Are you hungry?’ Kyoko asks. He shakes his head. He is not in the mood for food after everything that happened.

‘Very well, let’s go to sleep then.’

Makoto wonders if Kyoko is feeling sick after all those tests. He should have asked her sooner. He should have taken care of her. She almost died and yet she finds the strength to baby him around. Kyoko really is much stronger then he ever could be.

They are laying in their bed and despite his exhaustion he can’t really sleep yet. Kyoko is laying on his chest and breathing slowly and steadily. She most certainly is sleeping. The dim lights coming from outside leave strange patterns on her face, but she still looks peaceful. She always does, Makoto thinks. Her hair seems to have different colour in these lights too. It’s bit more blue than usual.

Blue is a calming. Makoto must have read that somewhere a long time ago.


End file.
